


Wait for Her

by starbxcks



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: A Walk to Remember (film), Angst, F/M, Fluff, James "Bucky" Barnes - Freeform, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starbxcks/pseuds/starbxcks
Summary: Y/n has been the team's astronomer since the attack on New York. After a bumpy introduction, she and Bucky become close friends. A weekly tradition of stargazing leads to some confessions and hard realizations.
Relationships: James "Bucky' Barnes/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Wait for Her

They were friends. Frenemies, in her words, but Steve’s optimism was wearing off on Bucky.

She’s been a key member of the team since the attack on New York. World renowned planetary astronomer, Y/n L/n was a force to be reckoned with. As Tony scoured the entire planet for someone to be of any help to keep a better eye on the happenings from above, Bruce Banner remembered meeting the brilliant woman at one of his guest appearances at Yale. A quick trip to Cape Canaveral and ~~a ton of~~ minimal protest, Y/n was named the team’s personal astronomer.

Her life at the compound was much more mundane than she thought it would be. Living with a ragtag gang of superhero’s meant living alone ninety percent of the time.

Until Steve’s best friend came back from the undead and fresh out of the freezer from Wakanda.

She’s heard all about Bucky Barnes, whether it was from history books, Steve’s many tales about the trouble the two of them got into when they were kids, or Sam’s complaints about _the Tinman_ _that ripped the steering wheel straight out of my car! Now you want me to room next to him?!_

No matter how many stories she read or the different sides of him she’s heard about, nothing would’ve prepared her for the real thing.

…

_It was a Monday, of all days. Steve made everyone gather into the living area like an excited mother hen wanting a family photo for their Christmas card. He hadn’t shut up about his best friend finally feeling comfortable enough to move into the compound that it was hard for Y/n to be as excited as he was the day it came._

_She didn’t understand why she was invited in the first place. Steve may have been her closest friend, but she wasn’t an Avenger, not really. She spent most of her days holed up in her laboratory staring into space (literally). There was no reason for her to be there, but Steve insisted that it was important to him that she be apart of Bucky’s welcoming home, that he wanted her to meet the only other person he knew that was just as obsessed with space as she was._

_So there she stood in the back of the room with a small smile as she watched her blonde friend walk around with his arm wrapped around the recovering assassin’s shoulders, properly introducing his oldest friend to his newfound family._

_Her heart started to hammer in her chest when she saw Steve look around with furrowed brows, knowing he was searching for her. Y/n cursed under her breath when his baby blues met her gaze and she rubbed her sweaty palms against her pant legs to try and calm her nerves._

_“Y/n! There you are!” Steve flashes his million dollar smile._

_“Here I am.” She lamely replies, earning a snort from the man of the hour._

_“Buck, this is Y/n, she’s the team’s astronomer.” Bucky turned to face her._

_“So you’re the space cadet everyone hasn’t shut up about?” The man accused with a glint in his eye and an arched brow. Steve blanches, glaring at his friend and telling him to apologize._

_Y/n folds her arms across her chest and sizes the bulky man in front of her up, biting her tongue in annoyance that she has to crane her neck to meet his piercing gaze. She almost gets lost in the dark blue of his eyes, amazed how much the color resembles the night sky- but then she remembers his taunt._

_“And you’re the knockoff Robocop that has an affinity for tearing off steering wheels?” She shot back smoothly, extending her right hand._

_“Pleasure to meet you.” She snarks._

_Bucky’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second in surprise. No one except his close friends (and Sam) have taken a jab at him since becoming the Winter Soldier. His gaze flits over her face, taking in the upturn of her rose colored lips, the playful fire behind her y/e/c eyes, and a strange sensation fills his chest, a rush of excitement flooding through him because of this beautiful stranger. He shakes her extended hand with his vibranium one and smiles._

_“The pleasure is all mine, sweetheart.”_

…

Y/n was late. Of course she was. Because only she would forget to set her alarm before taking a quick nap to prepare for the long night ahead.

There was a meteor shower tonight and if she were lucky enough to make it on time, she’d be able to see it. Yes, she’s a planetary astronomer and yes, it’s her job to look at planets all day and night, but she rarely gets a chance to just marvel at the sky without constantly doing calculations and reports.

Plus, this was her and Bucky’s tradition.

She trudged up the remaining flights of stairs faster.

When she opened the stairway door that led to the rooftop she held in a gasp. Bucky had laid out a blanket for them to sit on, a picnic basket filled with snacks and wine in the middle.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Barnes?” Y/n asked teasingly, gesturing to the single blanket on the ground. Bucky turned to her with a smirk.

“Why? Are you seducible?” He asked in a low tone that made Y/n shiver. She gave her snarky friend a deadpan look and he chuckled, reaching into the basket.

“I didn’t think so. Ergo: a second blanket.” Bucky winked, laying the cloth out for her.

Y/n smiled wide at his thoughtfulness and settled in next to the super soldier, snatching the bottle of wine from the basket and taking a gulp. Bucky looked at her with a small smile and something indescribable in his eyes that made Y/n suddenly feel overheated. She picked at the chipped nail polish on her fingers to distract herself from his heated gaze.

“Thank you. For uh, for this.” Y/n said.

“You didn’t have to go all out. You’re a good friend, Bucky.”

 _Friend._ She knew he was more than that, but she couldn’t admit that to herself yet.

Bucky deflated at Y/n’s words, hunching in on himself. They’ve known each other for three months now, their rocky meeting just a clashing of bold personalities.

The two got along perfectly, much to everyone’s surprise. They were stubborn, snarky, and flirty, and the entire team had a running bet on when the two would just date already. Y/n would insist that it’s all banter and Bucky would laugh it off and agree, blaming the sting in his heart on the Mexican food they ate earlier that day.

But he knew it wasn’t from the spicy food. Bucky liked Y/n. A lot. He knew it from the moment she didn’t cower away from his stupid taunt and instead fired one back at him. After that day, Bucky knew he’d end up falling for her.

Y/n made things easier. Just being in her presence made Bucky feel like he could conquer anything life threw at him. She was kind and understanding, never overstepping his boundaries when he’d drag himself into her laboratory in the middle of the night after a nightmare, eyes bloodshot and wet with tears. On those nights she’d let him sit with her while she did calculations as he read through some of her old reports, asking questions on some things he didn’t understand. She cared about him, but she was never afraid to put him in his place every once in a while. That’s what he loved most about her.

Bucky took a long swig from the bottle and hung his head.

“I don’t want to just be your friend.” He mumbled, defeated.

Y/n whipped her head to look at him, tongue heavy in her mouth at his admission.

“Wh-what?” Bucky let out a sigh and brought his gaze to her.

“I don’t want to be your friend, Y/n. I want to be with you.” His eyes were wide with vulnerability and Y/n felt like she was going to vomit.

“You don’t know what you want, Bucky.” She said softly, heart lurching in her chest at her own words.

Bucky ground his teeth, his jaw ticking.

“I don’t know what I want?” He parroted, incredulous.

“Neither do you!” He accused, running a vibranium hand through his hair and standing to his feet, the proximity of her and the rejection too much.

“Have you ever thought that maybe you’re too scared that someone might actually want to be with you?” Y/n gaped at the man before her in shock. Her mind was reeling, tears threatening to spill over from the sudden realization that Bucky could be _right._

She’s never made time for relationships, the few failed ones enough to last her a lifetime. None of her past partners respected her career or took it seriously. They all claimed she cared about space more than the relationship, and they maybe had a point.

But with Bucky things were different. She yearned to be in his company as much as possible. Her heart broke when he’d drag his feet into her lab because of a nightmare, but she couldn’t help the fluttering in her chest that he trusted her enough to be vulnerable around her.

But she was terrified. What if Bucky got tired of her obsession with the universe? What if he couldn’t accept that she wouldn’t give up her job for a relationship? That she needed both? Y/n doubts Bucky would ever make her choose, but the unrelenting fear was still buried deep down.

“And why would that scare me?” She deflected, hardening her face. She couldn’t let him see how much this hurt her.

Bucky scowled as he looked at her. Her hard expression did nothing to hide the emotions flooding behind her eyes. Fear, anger, hurt, _love._

“Because you can’t hide behind your reports, in, in your fuckin’ telescope, or your laboratory!” Bucky exclaimed, shaking his head.

“No, no. You know the real reason why you’re scared?” He asked quietly. Y/n’s breath hitched as he closed the distance between them, steely eyes boring into her own.

“Because you want to be with me too.” His eyes flickered to her parted lips and resisted the urge to slot his own between them. Bucky wished she would let him in so he can prove to her how real his feelings were. He wanted to show her how much he loved her in every way he knew how, but he needed her to make that decision herself. He would never push her, never force her to be with him when she clearly wasn’t ready.

Bucky’s heart felt heavy as he watched Y/n’s eyes well up with tears, his own not far behind. He ran his vibranium thumb along her cheekbone and gave her a chaste kiss on her temple before walking away.

He would wait for her. Bucky waited centuries for someone like her to come into his life. He can hold out a little longer.

**Author's Note:**

> Uploading this from my blog! Very loosely based off some parts of A Walk to Remember. I hope you like it!


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